The Life of Gaia

CHAPTER 34: Lightspeed Walk

For a few moments, the hot air balloon plummeted downward. Then, as soon as the basket I was in had stopped swinging, it immediately regained altitude and returned to the level from which I had started. I realized that I had been holding my breath in fear, dilating my nostrils and inhaling deeply to return to normal. The pink firefly was pressing crazily against the front glass of the lantern, as if asking me to go faster.

Steeling my courage, I took a hesitant glance over the edge of the basket, clinging to it with my fingers more in response to a desire for stability than to avoid real danger.

Below me, the abyss. It was not like the darkness of Incubia: it was less oppressive, though still enveloping. It was a darkness that did not envelop like a blanket, but was there, distant and silent, hiding the horizon. Down below there seemed to be nothing, no ground or floor of any kind, from what I could see. The only element of the landscape that was seriously visible was the edge of CPU City, which, with its inhabitants watching me walk away, was growing small in the distance.

The hot air balloon, as I had imagined, was moving by the thrust of the firefly I had captured, without needing to be maneuvered or adjusted. The only problem would be to repair the balloon's fabric if it got a hole in it, although it didn't seem to me that would be necessary. What could have possibly punctured it, in that deserted abyss?

I gave a serene smile and leaned against a corner of the square of space I had.

"You know little one," I said to the firefly thoughtfully, "if we're floating here now, it's only because my friend Zantas decided to go off on his own. You wouldn't be trapped in there now if it weren't for him!"

The very moment I heard those words coming out of my mouth, I was burning with the desire to take them back. I made a little caress with my fingertip to the lantern glass.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean that. I'm sorry I had to imprison you like this, it must be terrible... I shouldn't blame others for my decisions. I promise you that you will be free soon, okay?" I shook my head, retracting my hand. "I wasn't ready for this. If I had had to fight, or run away, or even question someone, it would have been different, because I would have had those I love by my side. But fighting with Zantas - heck, I wouldn't do that if I could." I sat cross-legged, staring at the hot air balloon hole that held us up.

"It's always the same story with him. I never understand whether I can trust him or not - he is both the wisest and most childish person I know. We have already met my sister twice, and now it will be the turn of the third, but for all I know we could go on like this forever. There is so much, too much I don't know, and the universe is so big. Heck firefly, sorry for this talk too, I don't think you cared about my problems: you have some too, including being imprisoned."

Next to the hot air balloon the first fireflies on their way began to pass by. I saw projected shadows of the cables holding everything together on one of the basket walls, so I stood again to get a better look. I was amazed at the spectacle of yellow trails of light all around me. Although they were so small, they were much faster than we were. I was literally surrounded by shooting stars.

"Your sisters, look!" I exclaimed, pointing them out to the pink firefly. This time the one seemed to understand, and the bright part of her body blinked a little brighter than normal. It was only when she realized that the others were going on about their own business without paying attention to her that she stopped trying to call them and began again undaunted to press forward.

I felt tremendous guilt, and I cursed the stupid idea I had come up with. How could I have caged another living being? I considered letting it go free, but even if I did, I would have to use another one as a guide. When in doubt, I pulled out the map. That too confirmed my fears: it couldn't give me directions, I could see my marker rotating like a spinning top as it neared its final destination. So did Zantas's, who in the meantime had strayed off the right path to an empty spot on the map.